Sleeve press



Feb. 24, 1953 R. G. M LAGA N SLEEVE PRESS Filed Sept. 9, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG-2 INVENTOR. RUSSELL c. MCLAGAN ATTORNEYS Feb. 24, 1953 R. G. MOLAGAN SLEEVE PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 9, 1950 FIG-4 IN V EN TOR. RUSSELL G. MC LAGAN ATTORNEYS W,W, fim wow FIG-5 Feb. 24, 1953 R. G. M LAGAN 2,629,522

SLEEVE PRESS Filed Sept. 9, 1950 3 She ets-Sheet-3 I6 IN V EN TOR.

H5 RUSSELL G. MCLAGAN ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 24, 1953 SLEEVE PRESS Russell G. McLagan, Milford, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 9, 1950, Serial No. 184,035

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in a shirt sleeve press of the type having two bucks over which the sleeves are drawn, after which the bucks are brought into registration between pairs of pressing members which press the entire length of each sleeve between the cult and the shoulder seam. More specifically, the present invention relates to improvements in the means by which the bucks are automatically brought into proper registration with the pressing chests at a position such that the sleeve is pressed exactly up to the shoulder seam regard less of the length of the sleeve.

An object of the present invention is to provide, in a press of the type described above, an operator-operated measuring device connected with a follow up mechanism so related to a buck positioning device that more movement of the measuring device to the shoulder seam of the sleeve on the buck will cause the follow up mechanism to automatically position the buck in the proper position for pressing the sleeve up to the shoulder seam only.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a measuring device as described in the preceding paragraph coupled with means for initiating a pressing operation so that, with what amounts to a single movement, the operator may properly position the buck according to the length of the sleeve thereon and immediately initiate a pressing operation, thus saving time.

A further object of the present invention is the arrangement of the bucks and pressing chests so that the bucks are automatically carried away from the operator for the performance of the pressing operation so that there is no danger of an operator being hurt.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a novel follow up mechanism Wherein an easily operated part is positioned by the operator after which a heavier mechanism is po-' sitioned accordingly so that the buck is in proper position to carry out a pressing operation without fatiguing work on the part of the operator.

The invention further resides in the provision of novel means and mechanism for carrying out the various functions as will be more clearly understood from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features will be set forth the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. l is a side elevational view of the comlete pressin machine with the casing removed, and with the parts in a normal unoperated D- sition;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental top plan view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 suihcient to show the shape of the pressing chests and the pressure producing means;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective detail view of a portion of the measuring mechanism and taken generally from the position of the line 33 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional elevational view on an enlarged scale taken along the line i-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental plan view of the handle and associated parts of the measuring mechanism taken generally along the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail elevational View of a portion of the measuring mechanism taken along the line 6--6 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a side-elevational view of the complete machine with the casing broken away to show the measuring mechanism and illustrating the measuring rod or feeler elevated somewhat to measure a shirt sleeve shown in full line position of the buck and in dot-dash position corresponding to a pressing operation, some of the associated elements being thereby moved while others are still in unoperated position, as will be described; while Fig. 8 is a combined pneumatic electrical diagram of those parts concerned with the operating structure.

My invention is applicable to any press where a single buck is moved first into a registration position between two coacting pressing chests after which the chests are brought together for a pressing operation This is true whether the movable pressing member moves in a horizontal plane or in a vertical plane. However, my invention is particularly useful in a press for simultaneously ironing the two sleeves of a shirt and I' will describe that embodiment, defining the essential features of my invention in the claims as applicable to other types of press. Since a large part of the mechanism is merely a duplication so as to take care of two bucks, I will explain the same in connection with the buck seen in Figs. 1 and '7 and at the left in Fig. 4, applying the same reference numerals with the suffix a to similar parts of the other mechanism.

On a frame I b ther is mounted a buck H of a double convex form commonly known in this art. The main portion of the buck is nontapering and of uniform conformation from top to bottom. This portion of the buck is covered by a padding !2 of the usual character. Exten ing vertically along the front face of the buck is a thin expander fin l3 diverging forwardly and outwardly from top to bottom of the buck. This fin is mounted for reciprocation in the buck and is urged outwardly or forwardly by means of a lever 54 pivoted on the base l5 at [6 and connected at its lower end with the piston rod E! of a small air servomotor !8 which is supplied by air through a usual valve arrangement subject to a control member l9 placed for easy reach of the knee of the operator. Operation of the control member l9 causes the fin l3 to be pushed forwardly or outwardly so as to stretch the sleeve tightly for a pressing operation. At the upper end of the buck there is an extension of smaller cross section to receive the cuff of the shirt and this is provided with a clip 21 for temporarily holding the cufis when the sleeve is draped on the buck. A lever 22 controls the cuff holder 2i in a known manner and has no part in the present invention. It will be noted in Fig. 7 that when the buck reaches the dot-dash position for a pressing operation, the handle 22 is between the wings of the pressing chest and the arrangement is such that the lever 22 is engaged by a wing of the pressing chest and moved inwardly during a pressing operation to release the cuff holder. This permits a quick stripping of the sleeve from the buck when it again returns to the operator after a pressing operation.

The buck is provided with a vertical mounting which comprises the telescoping parts consisting of sleeve 23 and the internal rod 24. The rod 2 2 is rigidly connected with the buck while the sleeve 23 has a pivotal mounting on the frame Is at the point 25. This permits the buck and its vertical mounting to be oscillated toward the rear from the position of Fig. l to the dot-dash position of Fig. 7 about the pivot 25 and my invention provides means for changing the vertical position of the buck by the telescoping parts 23 and 24 to accommodate sleeves of different length as will presently appear.

The buck H, i3 is adapted to move into a registering position between a pair of pressing chests 26 which are hollow and provided with steam through the connections 21, 28 so as to heat the same in a well known manner. Each wing of the pressing chest has a concave portion 26 and these two concave portions 29 together substantially completely embrace the double convex portion 1 I of the buck with its padding. Each chest wing also has a flat portion adapted to press against that portion of the sleeve which is stretched forwardly by the fin it. Each pressing chest is pivotally mounted at (H on a lever 32 which has a fixed pivotal mounting 33 on the main frame. connected between the inner ends of the levers 32 normally holds the wings of the pressing chest in open position as shown in Fig. 2. Means is provided for closing the pressing chest and consists of a motor 35 comprising a cylinder fitted with a piston 36, having a piston rod 31 provided with an outboard bearing at 38. Carried by the piston rod is a wedge 39 adapted to enter between rollers 40 on the rear end of levers 32 so as to force the levers apart, causing the pressing chests to come together in a pressing action. The forward portion of this wedge at 4! provides a rapid movement while the rearward portion 42 causes a slower but more powerful movement of the pressing members. It will be noted in Fig. 7 that the elements of the pressing chest are positioned radially with respect to the A spring 34 pivot 25 so that the buck is properly coordinated with the pressing chest when it reaches registration position prior to a pressing operation.

Power means is provided for moving the buck from the position of Fig. 1 to the dot-dash position of Fig. 7. This means comprises a cylinder and piston motor 43, the cylinder of which has a pivoted connection at 44 with the frame Hi. The piston rod 45 of this motor is pivotally connected at 45 with a bracket 41 which depends from a plate 48 upon which the base l5 of the buck is mounted. As will later appear, a normally open valve urges the piston of motor 43 toward its forwardmost position so as to normally hold the buck H in the position of Fig. 1 on the table 49.

Generally speaking, an operator operated finger 50 (Figs. 5 and 7) is provided which is touched to the shoulder seam of a shirt sleeve draped on the buck II and this is associated with a follow up mechanism whereby the buck is then automatically positioned so that the shoulder seam of the sleeve will enter the pressing chests 26 just at the lower end thereof so as to properly press the sleeve right up to the shoulder line but no farther. Various types of follow up mechanism might be utilized to cause the buck to take the proper position following the movement of the finger 50. In the present invention I have utilized an inclined track 5! pivotally mounted on the. frame at 52 and having a forwardly extending counterbalance 53. The position of the track 5! is shown in full lines in Fig. '7 for approximately the longest sleeve and in dot-dash lines there for approximately the shortest sleeve. In actual practice, the range is not very great. A pair of rollers 5| is mounted, one on each side, on bracket 41 downwardly extending from plate 48 and these rollers ride on track 5|. Thus, it can be seen that if the track be swung clockwise a sufficient distance, the pivoted buck assemblies could simply swing about pivot point 25 without any longitudinal extension of members 24, or that (as in actual practice) the track can be positioned at a more counterclockwise position so that as the buck groups swing back toward the chests, the rollers, riding up track 5|, cause the buck supports to move up with members 23 sliding up on members 24. As mentioned above, the adjustment as used is such that the buck group always moves up a smaller or larger distance. The adjustment is designed so that the normal track setting shown in Fig. 1 would be the limit for the longest sleeve, while a track angle alittle more clockwise than that shown in dotdash lines in Fig. '7 would be the limit for the shortest sleeves. Actually the standard shirt sizes fall within narrower limits.

While the measuring finger 50 might be connected directly to the mechanism of track 5! so as to properly position it, I prefer to use a pilot member which is very easily manipulated, after which automatic mechanism causes the track 5! to follow the position of the pilot member.

The finger 50 is rigidly mounted on a hollow tube 54 which is provided at its front end with a handle 55 to be grasped by the operator. To a collar 56 freely rotatable on tube 54 there is pivotally connected a downwardly extending rod 51 which, at its lower end is pivotally connected to a block 58 which in turn is rigidly connected to a rod 59 passing through a sleeve 69 rigidly mounted on the frame, the rod 59 being slidable vertically in the sleeve 50 so as to guide the movement of block 58. A swivel connection 6| mounts another block 62- to block 58. Freely slidable through the center of block 62 is a rod 63 which, as best seen in Fig. 3, is radially connected to a sleeve 64 which is rotatably mounted about the pivot 52. A projecting nose 65 on sleeve 64 is biased by spring 65a to engage a projection 66 on a second sleeve 61 which is also freely rotatable about the pivot 52. Rigid with the sleeve 6's is a stop arm 68. This stop arm is provided with an arcuate guide 69 which passes through a receiving opening in an angle bracket II connected to the main frame I0. The track 5| is provided with an arcuate guide 72 passing through a suitable receiving opening '53 in a pedestal l4 fastened to the main frame.

Means is provided for causing the track 5i to automatically follow the position of stop arm 68 as set by red 63 responsive to movement of the measuring finger 5B. This means is best seen in Figs. 4 and 6. An air servomotor I5 has its cylinder pivotally connected at I6 to one of the pedestals M. The piston of the servomotor has a piston rod TI which is pivotally connected at 8 to a crank arm 19 which is rigidly connected to the pivot shaft 52a. shaft is rigidly fixed to the track portion bid which is connected to the track portion 5| by means of a connecting bar 5Ib across the front end of the counterbalancing arms 53 as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and '7. Referring back to Fig. 5, it will be noted that a switch 80 is mounted on the tubular arm 54 having a switch actuator 8| which is responsive to a control member 82 extending slightly outwardly from the inner end of finger 50. This control member is mounted for longitudinal movement in the hollow finger 50 so as to actuate switch 80. As will presently appear, the closing of switch 80 actuates servomotor I5 so as to cause the track 5! to move in a clockwise direction from the full line position of ig. 7 to the dot-dash position until a stop screw 83 on track 5| engages a switch 84 on the stop arm 68.

Means is provided for clamping the arcuate guide 69 of stop arm 68 in any adjusted position. This comprises a servomotor 85 mounted on the main frame and connected with an eccentric 86 also mounted on the main frame in position to clamp the guide arm 69 against the angle bracket II.

Means is provided for clamping the arcuate guide arm '12 associated with track 5I in any adjusted position. This comprises a servomotor 8! pivotally mounted on the frame and having a connection with an eccentric 88 also mounted on the frame and adapted to clamp the guide arm l2 against a portion of the pedestal I4.

An air source under suitable pressure is provided at 88 as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8 and this is connected through valves 89 and til to the press closing motors and 35a as shown in Fig. 8. These valves are under the control of diaphragms 9! which in turn are connected by line 92 with a control valve 93 which is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 7 and 8. This is a normally closed valve and movable to open position by means of a bell crank 94 pivotally mounted on the frame and controlled by cam 95 rigidly connected with the vertical mounting member 23 for oscillation about the pivot 25 as the buck oscillates from forward to rearward position. The

igh point on the cam opens valve 33.

A snubber 96 is mounted in the base of the frame and this is connected by means of a crank arm 9! and link 98 with the vertical mount This pivot ing member 23 so as to snub the movement of the buck as it oscillates forward and back. The movement of arm 91 is limited at the rear by stop 39 and at the front by means of stop I00 which carries a switch II]! for a purpose presently described.

It is believed that the operation of the machine will now be understood, certain control parts being mentioned as they occur in the operation. With the parts of the machine in normal position as shown in Fig. l, a shirt I02 with its front extending away from the operator has its sleeves drawn down over the bucks II and Ma and the cuffs are fastened in the holders 2|. A touch of the operators knees on two plates or control members I9, causes the buck wings or fins I3 to be swung outwardly by servomotor l8 and Ida, thus smoothing out the sleeves. The shoulder seam I03 will be high for a short sleeve or low for a long sleeve on the buck, depending upon the sleeve length. The operator now grasps the handle 55 as shown in Fig. '7 and moves the finger 5%] up to the shoulder seam I63. In Fig. 7, the position of the parts in full lines show that before the control member 82 has been touched to the shirt on the buck, the connecting rod 51 has caused the rod 53 to be swung clockwise from the position of Fig. 1 and with it the stop arms 68. When the operator touches the control member 32 against the shoulder seam of the shirt on the buck and presses slightly, the switch 86 is closed which, referring to Fig. 8, completes an electric circuit from L1, line I94, switch 89, lines I05 and N18 to solenoid It! and then through line I 08 and normally closed push button switch I09 to L2. Energizing of solenoid I31 opens a normally closed combination air valve III] and air from source 88 is admitted to pipe III and thence to clamping servomotor 35 and the track moving servomotor F5. The closing of switch 83, simultaneously energizes the coil of relay R (in parallel with solenoid I87) closing its contacts R1 and R2. The closing of contact R1 completes a maintaining circuit for relay coil R by way of L1, line I 04, contact R1, the relay coil R, and line I 08 through push button I03 to L2, thereby also maintaining energized solenoid coil Iill. Closing of contact R2 is for the moment ineffective. When servomotor l5 has swung track 5! around until the stop screw 83 engages the actuator for switch 84 to close the same, a circuit is completed from L1 through line I04, contact R1, lines I05 and I65, switch 84, (manual measuring switch 82 having been released), line H2, relay contact R2, and lines H3 and I 14 to a solenoid I I5, and line I It to L2. This opens normally closed air valve I I? admitting air to pipe H8 and the track clamping servomotors B1 and 8101.. Also, the closing of switch 84 completes a circuit from L1 through line I04, contact R1, line I05, switch 84, line H2, solenoid H9, line I08, push button we to L2. Solenoid H9 opens a normally closed air valve I20, admitting air to pipes I2I, I22 and I23. The supply of air through line i2I to diaphragm I24 closes normally open valve I25 thus closing the supply to the right hand end of motor 43 and opening an exhaust valve not shown. The supply through line I22 is to diaphragm 26 which opens normally closed valve I2? and supplies air under pressure through line I28 to the forward end of the cylinder of motor 43 so as to cause movement of the bucks from the full line position of Fig. 7 to the dot-dash position. The supply of air through line I23 is to valve 93 which is still closed. When the buck reaches the pressing position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 7, the high point of cam 95 opens valve 93, which admits air by way of pipe 92 to diaphragms 9I so as to open valves 89 and 90 and cause the motors 35 and 35a to close the pressing chest against the registering bucks.

The apparatus remains in pressing position until push button I09 is released by the operator. This breaks the circuit to relay R, whereupon opening of contact R1 breaks the circuits to the solenoids I07 and H9 so that the servomotors I and 85 are exhausted, as are the pressure producing cylinders 35 and 35a and front end of cylinder 43, while air is again admitted to the back end of cylinder 43 so as to swing the bucks forwardly. Note that solenoid H5 is not deenergized, however, even though its original circuit including contacts R1 and R2 is broken, because a separate or shunt circuit from L1 through lines I04 and I29, switch IBI (now closed) and line II 4 through solenoid H5 and line I It to L2, makes it independent of the relay or of push button I09. This is for the purpose of holding the track 5I clamped in position by servomotors 81 and 81a, as before mentioned. Now, when the bucks have returned to the full forward position, arm 91 engages switch II!I so as to open it, thus breaking the circuit to solenoid I I5 and allowing the servomotors 8'! and 81a to exhaust so as to swing the track 5| back to its unoperated position as shown in full lines in Fig. 7. Switch 84, being again open, all parts have now returned to the normal position of Figs. 1 and 8.

I have thus provided a machine wherein the operator has only to drape the sleeves of the shirt on the two bucks in their forwardmost position, after which he touches the control finger 50 and its protruding control member 82 to the shoulder seam of the shirt sleeve whereupon the entire operation occurs automatically until the press is closed. The bucks move away from the operator to the heated pressing chests so that there is no danger of the operator being burned or having his fingers caught as the pressing chests close for a pressing operation. At the close of the operation, a momentary opening of push button I09 causes the press to return to its original position. I have thus provided a very fast and efiicient press.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a frame, a pair of upright bucks having a generally vertical mounting on said frame, said mounting having a pivot connection at its lower end with said frame, said mounting having a slidable connection with each buck for guiding said bucks up and down relative to said frame, a pair of pressing chests for each said buck on the rear of said frame spaced from said bucks and spaced radially with respect to said pivot connection, each said buck being movable about said pivot connection into registration between its associated pair of said chests, power means connected to said bucks for oscillating said bucks about said pivot mounting into registration, and power means connected to said chests for pressing each of said pair of chests against a buck in registration between them.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means connected to said bucks for controlling the position of said bucks on said vertical mounting, a measuring finger movable lengthwise of an article supported on said bucks, and an operative connection between said finger and said controlling means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said means controlling the position of said bucks comprises a track pivotally mounted on said frame and extending adjacent the path of travel of said vertical mounting from front to rear as said bucks oscillate about said pivot connection and a follower on said bucks engageable with said track during said buck oscillation, and an operative connection between said finger and said track.

4. The combination of claim '3 wherein said last named operative connection comprises a pilot device operatively connected to said finger, a servomotor connected to said track for controlling the position of said track, and a power circuit for energizing and deenergizing said servomotor responsive to said finger and pilot device, whereby said track is moved in response to said finger and pilot device.

5. The combination of claim 1 including means for simultaneously moving said bucks in an upand-down direction on said vertical mounting and for oscillating said mounting about said pivot connection, a measuring finger on said frame movable lengthwise of an article supported on said bucks, and an operative connection between said finger and said last named means.

6. In combination, a frame, a first pressing member on said frame, a second pressing member coacting with said first pressing member and being mounted on said frame, said members being mounted for relative movement into and out of pressing relation with each other, one of said members being an article supporting member, one of said members having a mounting on said frame for movement endwise of itself whereby to vary the zone of registration between said members, means operatively connected with said last mentioned member for moving the later endwise of itself, an operator-operated device mounted for relative movement adjacent and lengthwis of said article supporting pressing member whereby said device may measure the relative length of an article supported thereon, and an operative connection between said device and said last named means controlling the movement of said last named means responsive to movement of said device.

'7. The combination of claim 6 including power meanson said frame for moving said members into pressing relation and a control member on said device operatively connected with said power means for causing actuation of said power means by movement of said control member substantially into engagement with an article supported on said article supporting pressing member.

8. In combination, a frame, a first pressing member on said frame, a second pressing member coacting with said first pressing member and being mounted on said frame, said members being mounted for relative movement into and out of pressing relation with each other, one of said members being an article supporting member, one of said members having a mounting on said frame for movement endwise of itself whereby to vary the zone of registration between said members, means operatively connected with said last mentioned member for moving the latter endwise of itself, a track pivotally mounted on said frame, a follower mounted on said endwise movable member and engageable with said track as said endwise movable pressing member moves toward pressing relation with the other pressing member to cause said endwise movable member to move endwise of itself, a measuring finger movable lengthwise of said article supporting member,

9 i and an operative connection between said finger and said track for varying the angular position of the latter around its pivot responsive to the position of said finger, the variation in angular position of said track determining the extent of endwise movement of said endwise movable member.

9. The combination of claim 8 including power means on said frame for moving said pressing members into pressing relation, and a control member on said finger operatively connected with said power means for causing actuation of said power means by movement of said control member substantially into engagement with an article supported on said article supporting pressing member.

10. In combination, a frame, a first pressing member on said frame, a second pressing member coacting with said first pressing member and being mounted on said frame, said members being mounted for relative movement into and out of pressing relation with each other, one of said members being an article supporting member, one of said members having a mounting on said frame for movement endwise of itself whereby to vary the zone of registration between said members, means operatively connected with said last mentioned member for moving the latter endwise of itself, a track pivotally mounted on said frame, a servomotor connected with said track for moving the latter about its pivot, a follower on said endwise movable pressing member and engageable with said track as said endwise movable pressing member moves toward pressing relation with the other pressing member to cause movement of said endwise movable pressing member endwise of itself, a stop member movably mounted on said frame and engageable by said track to limit movement of the latter about its pivot, a measuring finger movable lengthwise of said article supporting member, an operative connection between said finger and said stop for positioning the latter responsive to finger movement, and a control member on said finger operatively connected to and controlling said ,servomotor and operable by engagement of said finger against an article supported on said article supporting pressing member. i

11. The combination of claim 10 including power means on said frame for moving said pressing members into pressing relation, and a control member for actuating said power means responsive to engagement of said track with said stop.

12. In combination, a support, a pressing member on said support, a second support, a coacting pressing member carried thereon, one of said sup ports being mounted for movement relative to the other whereby one of said pressing members may be given a generally lateral movement into and out of registration with the other said pressing member, one of said members being mounted on its support for movement endwise of itself whereby to vary the zone of registration between said members, means for causing endwise movement of said endwise movable member comprising a follower attached thereto and a track pivotally mounted on the support which carries the other pressing member, said follower and track being engageable as said movable support carries its pressing member toward registration with the other said member, and a measuring finger movable lengthwise of one of said pressing members, said measuring finger being operatively connected to said track for varying the angular position of the latter around its pivot and consequently varying the endwise movement of said endwise movable member and varying the zone of registration between said members.

RUSSELL G. MCLAGAN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Davis Sept. 6, 1949 Number 

